Hilltown Families 
Ashfield Fall Festival Stomped Butt!
Notes from Nan: Good Fest! Good Fest!
BY HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati
I do not know how one little festival about four blocks long can stomp my butt so soundly, but Fall Festival certainly does! And also, I don’t know how, after the cold-ish and rainy-ish summer we had that we were able to get two such glorious days, right together, holding hands, stepping up and proudly standing bold for the whole two days of the festival, but indeed we did! Wasn’t that a beeyoutiful Fall Festival? Next year I would like to be in on the pre-fest meeting that the trees have when they decide which way they’re going with the colors and the leaves-on-the-branches vs. leaves-on-the-ground, etc. I thought the way they handled it this year with every tree being in some form of color; some with the color just coming in, some full ablaze, some solid color, some variegated, some nearly bare, but really no dead leaves anywhere at all, was a very good choice. I think they should look into doing it that way again for future Fall Festivals, as it really gave the area a good look and made it really look like fall. As chairman of general signs and set décor, I’ll look into that and see if I can get them to do that again next year.
All right. Now I’m going to bed.
Hey!
Last year we did our first annual replication of the previous three December Craft Fairs here in Ashfield. They all had different names and no permanent structure, but last year we thought to recognize it as an annual event and so, this year (and every year hereafter) we will have
Crafted in the Village
A craft show of large proportion the first weekend in December!
Right now, I’m sending out a Call to Artisans. If you, or anyone else you know is interested in participating in the show, please e-mail me at Elmersstore2@verizon.net. I sent out an e-mail to some of last year’s participants, but I don’t seem to have the address of everyone who participated. Please write and I’ll send out the information to you. If you and I have had a verbal conversation in which you said you were interested, please e-mail me to say you’re interested because
1. Plenty-plenty things fall out of my head between my standing up and my sitting down at the computer to make lists of who is interested, and
2. This way I’ll have your e-mail address.
So if you’re an artisan and have interest, let me know, and if you’re thinking to do local Holiday Shopping this year, then keep December 6th and 7th in your head!
Dinner!
Sole au Gratin Casserole
Field Greens Salad
And for Vegetarians
5-spice tofu stir-fry over brown rice
Field Greens Salad
Rob’s Grocery Talk with Rob
Okay, I know I should be writing about something specific this week. Let’s see…um…god what was it?
Oh, yeah! Nan was trying to bait me with some trash talk in the last email. ‘Scuse me while I go back and read it.
Well, I’m not going to dignify her accusations with a response here. I’m just going to say one thing for all you voters to consider:
Nan is an Arab.
That’s right. She’s just an America despisin’ gun grabbin’ weather undergroundin’ white hatin’ commie lovin’ wealth redistributin’ pinko wacko moonbat hacky sack shamalama ding dong bang beat bell ringing big haul great go neck or nothin’ rip roarin’ every time a bull’s eye salesman that’s professor Harold Hill Harold Hill vote fraudin’ acorn squirrelin’ Communist Maoist Trotskyist Neo Trotskyist Crypto Trotskyist Communist Union Leader Atheist Agnostic long hair short hair weirdo vandal hooligan soccer supporter mamby pamby glue sniffin’ charter schoolin’ Arab!
At least that’s what I heard.
Grocery Report
Crunchy peanut butter for Beverly.
Double chocolate cocoa mix for Ann.
Swiss cheese for everyone.
Couscous, sesame stix, popcorn, and chocolate chips for the bulk bins.
Gotta wrap it up because Sister Nancy, and I are headed to the Cape.
See you next week.
Rob
Ed. Note: Rob, you are fired in five languages! Including Arabic!
FUSILLI IN BROCCOLI AND PINE NUT SAUCE
Peggy, Elmer's Store's good-morning- coffee-and-latte-maker-
extraordinaire, pointed out this great recipe to me from the Lifestyle
section of the October 2, 2008 issue of The Republican newspaper.
Broccoli Pesto is what she called it. It sounds delicious and we have
local broccoli in the cooler right now!
1 head broccoli (1 ¼ lbs)
3 cloves garlic
¼ tsp salt
1½ cup water
¼ cup pine nuts
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz whole-wheat fusilli pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Ground pepper
Separate the broccoli florets from the stalks. Chop the florets into
small pieces and set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the tough
outer skin from the stalks. Cut the peeled stalks into 1-inch chunks.
In a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, salt, and water. Place over
high heat and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli stalks, reduce heat,
cover and simmer until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the broccoli stalks, garlic, and cooking liquid to a food
processor. Add pine nuts and olive oil, then process until smooth
(using caution when pureeing hot liquids).
Bring a large saucepan on lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the
pasta according to package directions until nearly tender, about 5
minutes.
Add the reserved broccoli florets and continue cooking until the pasta
and broccoli are tender, about another 5 minutes. Drain and transfer
to a serving bowl. Add sauce and chopped basil, then toss well.
Season with black pepper.
Enjoy!
ELMER'S STORE PRODUCE FROM LOCAL FARMERS:
SUNDAY, 10/12/08
ARUGULA from Springwater Farm, Ashfield
GARLIC from Springwater Farm, Ashfield
GRAPE: CONCORD from Springwater Farm, Ashfield
GREENS: SPICY from Springwater Farm, Ashfield
FRIDAY, 10/10/08
APPLES: Macintosh from Scott;s Orchard, Ashfield
APPLES: Macoun from Scott;s Orchard, Ashfield
BROCCOLI from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
CAULIFLOWER from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
KALE from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
PEACHES from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
SQUASH: BUTTERCUP from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
SQUASH: DELICATA from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
TOMATOES from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
WATERMELON from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
LOCAL PRODUCE IN STOCK:
APPLES from Alan Surprenant, Ashfield
BEETS from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
CABBAGE:SWEET from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
CARROTS: BABY from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
ONIONS: RED from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
ONIONS: STUTTGART from Spring Water Garden, Ashfield
PEPPERS: GREEN from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
PEPPERS: RED from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
PEPPERS: YELLOW from Paddy Flat Farm, Ashfield
SQUASH: ACORN from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
TOMATOES: SUNGOLD from Sangha Farm, Ashfield
Fundraiser for the FRANKLIN LAND TRUST : 1/3rd of proceeds go to Elmer's Store
PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS from Susan and Dick Todd, Ashfield
BLACK RIVER PRODUCE, 9/29/08
Organic (Ecuador) Bananas
Organic (CA) Ginger Root
Organic (CA) Onions
Organic (CA) Potatoes: Gold
To make specific produce requests, email me at
elwell.donna@gmail.com.
Donna
Now, you may already know about how we’re beginning dinner three nights a week, but I recently learned that if you want people to remember things you have to repeat it a bunch of times. Joe Biden learned that, too. So, let me say that again:
Dinner 3 Nights a Week at Elmer’s!
Beginning October 23, 2008
Thursday nights: Dinner from 5 – 8 pm and it will be Meat and Potatoes night. Nothing fancy, still changing from week to week, but simpler, easier, not-as-gourmet-but-still-as-good fare—a night where you say, “I don’t feel like cooking” so let’s just go out night. Some nights like that you go to the Lakehouse, some nights like that you get pizza, and some nights like that you can now go to Elmer’s, as well! Down Home Night will also include vegetarian offerings, just like usual.
Friday nights: Dinner from 5 – 9pm Elmer’s regular Friday night dinners, exactly like before. More local food, more gourmet, (but not elitist) more date night sort of fare. Meat and vegetarian offerings, just like always.
Saturday nights: Dinner from 5 – 9pm and live music at 9pm! Dinner will be Tapas—smaller, appetizer-sized dishes that you can order as little or as much as you like of! Order a variety or concentrate on what you love. Mix and match and share with your friends!
And then at 9pm on Saturday nights we will have live music—a variety of sorts: Blues, Bluegrass, Folk, Classical, R&B, changing with the week just like our menus do! Come early and have dinner with no music, or come later and have dinner with music and switch over to hanging out and listening to good stuff with good desserts and a glass of wine or beer!
We are kicking off the festivities with
Compton Maddux and the Dirt Simple Band. A 40-year stage veteran of
nightclubs and concert halls, Maddux writes acoustic-based blues which
blend humor and irony along the lines of Allison Krause and Steve
Earle. He is a founding member and frontman of the Outer Space Band,
and has led many other roots music ensembles in his long career.
Appearing with Maddux will be electric hammer dulcimer virtuoso Bill
Ruyle of New York, bassist Klondike Koehler of Wendell, and special
guests.
Okay bye!
Big E
